ArtsLAUNCH! Grant Competition
Research and Creative Activity are vital for the advancement of any discipline, and to encourage new and innovative ideas in the arts and arts entrepreneurship. Kent State University College of the Arts, in partnership with the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship, established ArtsLAUNCH! in late 2021. This annual grant competition is designed to promote new art and new arts ventures that will positively impact the arts economy.
Award Package Includes $500 Grant to Pursue the Proposal
The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Kent State University. While cross-campus collaboration with disciplines that intersect with the arts are encouraged, it is not required.
Students may submit grant proposals in one of two categories to facilitate
1) the creation of new art, or
2) the creation of a new venture that will benefit some aspect of the arts economy.
2026 ArtsLaunch! Winners
Congratulations to the 2026 ArtsLAUNCH! Winners
- Kitalya Buchanan – "Branded By God" (New Art, Undergraduate)
- Sydney Kay – "From One Mother to the Next" (New Art, Graduate)
- Addison Kreger – "The Art Machine" (New Arts Venture, Undergraduate)
- Belle Espinal – "Journeys of the Diaspora" (New Arts Venture, Graduate)
While Espinal was unable to attend the announcement in person, her project was recognized alongside the other winning proposals.
2026 ArtsLAUNCH! Finalists
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Meet the Judges
2026 ArtsLAUNCH! Judges
The 2026 judging panel brings together professionals with experience in arts entrepreneurship, creative industries, education and business. Their perspectives help evaluate proposals based on creativity, viability and potential impact within the arts economy.
Andrew Heise
Andrew Heise is managing director of the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and an associate teaching professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Henry W. Bloch School of Management. He also leads the Entrepreneurial Studies Minor at Kansas City Art Institute.
His work focuses on developing educational programs that integrate business and entrepreneurship skills into the visual and performing arts. In 2020, Heise co-founded the “Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast: Making Art Work,” which shares the experiences of artists building sustainable careers.
A musician with experience in performance, recording and audio production, Heise holds a Bachelor of Music in commercial music and an MBA from Millikin University. He is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where his research examines entrepreneurship outcomes among arts graduates.
Aimon Ali
Aimon is an award-winning fashion entrepreneur, creative strategist and community builder with more than 10 years of experience in the fashion and creative industries. Originally from Toronto and now based in Cleveland, she has built her career around creating opportunities for creatives and entrepreneurs to connect, grow and build sustainable careers.
Through Fashion Talks Foundation, Aimon uses fashion as a platform for entrepreneurship, economic opportunity and community development. Her work focuses on connecting fashion and creative entrepreneurs with resources, education, professional networks and opportunities that help move ideas toward viable businesses.
Her broader work centers on strengthening the creative economy and expanding access for the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
Vincent Verderame
Vincent is a percussionist, music director, educator and audio professional whose career spans live performance, touring, dance accompaniment and music production. A Philadelphia native, he studied drum set and classical percussion at Penn State University and the University of Miami and participated in the Aspen Music Festival and Walt Disney World All American College Program.
After graduating from the University of Miami, Vincent toured internationally with Latin pop artists including Ricky Martin, Raul Di Blasio and José “El Puma” Rodríguez. He also performed with the New World Symphony and served as an accompanist, composer and educator for the Dance Department at New World School of the Arts, where he developed a MIDI-based approach to accompanying dance classes.
Vincent has spent 26 years with Blue Man Group’s Las Vegas production as a drummer and music director, while also performing internationally with the company. His additional credits include performances with Tom Jones, “The Lion King,” Derek Hough and the Jonathan Kreisberg Trio. He currently is expanding his work into post-production audio and recently received a production credit for Michelle Wolf’s “Irish Courage.”
Past Winners
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College of the Arts Announces ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Winners
The College of the Arts is thrilled to announce the winners of the ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Grant Competition, co-sponsored by the John S. And Marlene J. Brinzo Center For Entrepreneurship and LaunchNET Kent State
The competition was open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Kent State University. Applicants were asked to submit proposals in one of two categories: 1) the creation of new art demonstrating creativity and uniqueness or 2) the creation of a new art venture that would positively impact the arts economy.
Congratulations to our 2024 ArtsLAUNCH! winners Aniaya Dykes (New Art, Undergraduate) for "Strangers on Campus," Nicole Malcolm (New Art, Graduate) for "Possibilities/Posibildades: Bridging Print and Paper," Van Weinmann (New Arts Venture, Undergraduate) for "Beautifying Kent: Engaging the Community to Create Public Art."
The proposals were judged by a panel consisting of Sarah Spinner Liska, director of the KSU Museum, Cheryl Petrovic, president and CEO, Therm-Equip and Brian and Michael Raitman, co-founders of Raitman Art Galleries.
About ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Winners
Aniaya Dykes
Program of Study: Fashion Merchandising
Category: New Art, UndergraduateProject: "Strangers on Campus"
Video Submission
Nicole Malcolm
Program of Study: Print Media and Photography
Category: New Art, GraduateProject: "Possibilities/Posibildades: Bridging Print and Paper"
Video Submission
Van Weinmann
Program of Study: Fashion Design
Category: New Arts Venture, UndergraduateProject: "Beautifying Kent: Engaging the Community to Create Public Art"
Video Submission
Congratulations to All Our ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Finalists
New Art Category, Undergraduate Level
Aniaya Dykes, Strangers on Campus
Max Loudenslager, Iris: A Series of Fashion Photographs
New Art Category, Graduate Level
Nicole Malcolm, Possibilities/Posibildades: Bridging Print and Paper
New Arts Venture Category, Undergraduate Level
Charlie Davis, The Reed Baron
Van Weinmann, Beautifying Kent: Engaging the Community to Create Public Art
